Isn’t it time to officially declare India, the ‘festival’ capital of the world? If not that, there should at least be some special honour reserved for the months of October and November? Right from Navratri, Durga Puja, Sharad Purnima to Diwali, these two months are packed with one festival after the other. On 24th October, Sunday, many Hindu women would be celebrating the Karwa Chauth. Now, if you are Bollywood fan, you probably know a lot about the festival irrespective of whether your family celebrates it or not. Married women observe a fast from sunrise to moonrise for the long lives of their husbands. They break their fast after viewing the moon through a sieve, after which everyone gathers together for a hearty feast. Most people like to keep the Karwa Chauth fare vegetarian (read: veg korma, dal makhani, shahi paneer etc). Alongside, they also go big on sweets.
Interestingly, sweets also make special appearance in the ‘Sargi’, a special meal with an assortment of snacks that the women consume early in the morning, right before fasting. The logic is simple, sweets are filled with sugar or jaggery that work as energy boosters. But, of course, it's always advisable to be mindful about the portion. Too many can prove detrimental to your overall health.
If you plan to make the festivities extra special this year, we recommend you try this lovely ‘Pista Ki Lauj’. It is a Barfi made with a mix of pistachios. In terms of preparation, it is not very different from Kaju ki Barfi or Badaam Ki Barfi. The sweet is incredibly popular in Lucknow, Rajasthan and Harayana, especially for its melt-in-your-mouth feel. “Pista Lauj is an exquisite delicacy from Lucknow, it has mild nutty flavour and an attractive colour. It’s a must-serve on special occasions and that is the reason it is part of the Karvachauth Thali at 1911 Restaurant,” says Chef Sanjay Kumar Mishra- Executive Sous Chef at The Imperial.
Chef Sanjay also shared his Pista ki Lauj recipe with us, and you won’t believe how effortless it is to make at home. But the question is, can you recreate the same restaurant-style magic. Try and find out?
Pista ki Lauj does not require too many ingredients. However, it is advisable to grease the tray with ghee to ensure the pista barfi does not stick to the tray. Some people also like to use liquid glucose and mawa for and added richness.
Ingredients
- Pista 1KG
- Sugar 800GM
- Cardamom 4 Nos
Method:
1.Take a pan and prepare sugar syrup with equal parts of sugar and water, and cardamom.
2. Thicken the consistency of the sugar syrup just enough where balls can be made out of it. You can dip your spoon to check that.
3. Boil the pistachios separately and chop them finely
4. Blend the pistachios with the thickened sugar syrup.
5. Now gently spread the mix on a steel tray and let it cool.
6. Now cut barfi of desired shape and size and garnish with slivered pistachio.